AZUSA – Azusa Pacific University’s Brice Cutspec set a NAIA home run record Saturday.

But there was no celebration at the Cougar Baseball Complex.

Fresno Pacific’s Case Rigby and Tyler Pryor had seven and five RBIs, respectively, and the visiting Sunbirds handed the Cougars’ postseason aspirations a big blow by sweeping a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Rigby and Prior combined for 10 RBIs in a 15-5 blowout in the first game before Fresno Pacific overcame an APU rally to score an 8-7 victory in eight innings in the second game.

APU (14-22, 7-17), needing to finish in sixth place to qualify for next month’s GSAC Tournament, remained in eighth place, two games behind No. 6 Concordia, which lost two games at Biola.

Cutspec, who already holds APU career and season marks for home runs, hit his 73rd homer in the seventh inning of the second game to set a NAIA career mark. But that didn’t mean a whole lot to the senior after Fresno (23-9, 15-9) scored a run in the eighth inning to score an 8-7 victory.

“It’s bittersweet,” he said. “We really need to start pulling out these games. But it’s an honor (to set the record). I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season and try and get a playoff berth.”

The Cougars were hoping to take a step in that direction Saturday but they couldn’t contain the Sunbirds, who took leads of 3-1 and 7-2 in the first game before scoring eight runs in the final two innings to win 15-5.

Fresno, getting home runs from Matt Sousa and Anthony Martinez, continued its surge in the second game by taking leads of 5-2 and 7-2.

Azusa Pacific rallied in the fifth, when it cut the lead to 7-6 on an RBI by Chris Feicht and a three-run home run by Daniel Gonzales.

Cutspec then tied the score 7-7 with a leadoff home run to right field in the seventh.

“It all sounds great, we can all clap and say we did a nice job (coming back),” APU coach Paul Svagdis said. “But when you make too many mistakes, you’re not going to win games.

“We made way too many mistakes, even in that second game. It was a great job battling back. I told the guys that, but it’s not a good job. A good job is when you don’t make mistakes.”

The Cougars made a big one in the eighth, and it cost them.

Fresno’s Patrick Bariteau led off with a single before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. He then scored when catcher Ryan Delgado dropped a low pitch from Ryan Rosenhahn for a passed ball that allowed Bariteau to score to make it 8-7.

Michael Rivera retired the Cougars in order to win it.

“There’s still a chance,” Cutspec said. “But we really have to bear down these last (12 conference games). We just have to do our best.”

Steve Ramirez writes about public safety issues including criminal justice and fires in Inland Southern California. He previously covered high schools, college football and motor sports for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune since 1989. He's a big fan of Buddy Holly and loves World War II movies.